I started playing volleyball regularly on Monday nights in November 1998 with Fair Lawn's Community School. Unfortunately, the skill level was not that hot, so I went looking for a more challenging place to play in my area.
In February, I found PowerZone, a big volleyball club open seven days a week in Denville, NJ. PowerZone is about a 30-minute drive from home. It looks like a club I used to go to in California called City Beach. PowerZone has six indoor courts, a fitness facility, store and locker rooms. The volleyball play is good. Many experienced and high-level volleyball players come to play. I definitely have no problem finding 6' plus men waiting to pound the ball in my face.
So, I joined a 4-man league. I found four nice guys to play with. We were new to each other in the beginning, but we have since jelled. We played in two leagues already and the third league started this past Monday. Below is a picture of four players and a fan. From left to right are Rich Sutton, myself (Elan), Michael Yang, Jiayi (pronounced ja-YEE) Ling and Dave Farrell.
Keith Lutz, another team member, is missing from the picture. He was working when the picture was taken, which was after our playoff matches.
Everybody on the team has his own role. Rich, the unofficial team coach, is the vocal guy who pushes us to play harder. I am generally the setter, hitting well when I can and trying to serve short. Michael is the quiet, smiling, hardworking, all-around-solid player. Jiayi, Michael's girlfriend, is training for the Olympic long jump. She comes to support the team, and not surprisingly, we play better when she cheers us on. Dave, our captain, is the big hitter, who whips out the perfect set when we need it. Keith is responsible for pulling us all together, hits well and infuses the team with a needed dose of sarcasm.
I am excited about the league that just started. The teams we play will be more challenging this season and we always play better when our opponents are better than us. Personally, I am excited about my own play. Working out in the gym, running and mental preparation, through meditation and visualization, helped me improve my game. But, most importantly, my challenge will be to have fun. I take it waaaaaaaaaaay too seriously. The main purpose of my play is to have fun. So, I will just go have fun.
- Elan
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